Celebrate the holidays! Save 20% on annual and biennial Premium »

Conjugate tener in the present tense in Spanish (El Presente)

Written by qualified Spanish expert Ana Matilla MA, BA
Last updated: 2023-03-16
19 questions

Tener (to have) is irregular in El Presente in Spanish.

Learn how to conjugate "tener" in El Presente in Spanish

yo tengo
tú tienes
él / ella / Ud. tiene
nosotros / nosotras 
tenemos
vosotros / vosotras
 tenéis
ellos / ellas / Uds.   tienen
Notice the yo form has a -g- and ten- becomes tien- in three of the forms.
Look at and listen to these examples:

Yo tengo un perro.I have a dog.

Tú tienes un coche grande.You have a big car.

Ella tiene una falda azul.She has a blue skirt.

Usted tiene 57 años.You are 57 years old.

Nosotros tenemos una casa en la playa.We have a house on the beach.

Vosotras tenéis una tía en Chile.You have an aunt in Chile.

Ellas tienen una guitarra española.They have a Spanish guitar.

Ustedes tienen una hija rubia.You have a blond daughter.

For more verbs that follow a similar pattern, see: 
Verbos yo-go (presente) and for verbs that derive from "tener" see Spanish verbs deviated from "tener"

Want to make sure your Spanish sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »

Learn more about these related Spanish grammar topics

Examples and resources

Yo tengo un perro.I have a dog.
Tú tienes un coche grande.You have a big car.
Ella tiene una falda azul.She has a blue skirt.
Usted tiene 57 años.You are 57 years old.
Nosotros tenemos una casa en la playa.We have a house on the beach.
Vosotras tenéis una tía en Chile.You have an aunt in Chile.
Ellas tienen una guitarra española.They have a Spanish guitar.
Ustedes tienen una hija rubia.You have a blond daughter.
Clever stuff happening!